1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rotating bodies, and, more particularly, illuminated rotating bodies.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rotating body in the form of a ceiling fan is well known in the prior art for circulating air in rooms of buildings. These fans are generally equipped with a motor having a rotor to which are connected radially extending blades. It is further known in the art to combine a ceiling fan with a light source so that the combined unit serves as both a fan and light fixture for illuminating the room. A typical combined ceiling fan and lighting fixture includes a central light source located beneath the motor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,206 (Kendregan, et al.) discloses an illuminated ceiling fan in which a source of illumination is secured to the outer periphery of rotating blades for rotation therewith. Although the illuminated periphery of the moving blades is aesthetically pleasing, the variety of images which can be produced by such illuminated blades is limited. For instance, the illuminated blades are not capable of producing a lighted image in the form of letters, words or graphic images.
What is needed in the art is a method of emitting a visual image in the form of alphanumeric characters from a rotating body.